The Risk of the Road

The Risk of the Road

Drivers hold the life of themselves, their passengers, and other road users in their hands. Seatbelts are always a good idea. To further ensure that they do their job in keeping everyone safe, it is important for drivers to enroll in driver education. There are many signs and signals on the road that keep everything in order and everyone safe, if followed correctly. With the right understanding of what these signs and signals mean, the road will be less of a hazard for everyone. Experts say one of the big reasons for why there is risk on the road is because of failure to understand signs. While most could guess at what a sign is saying, driver education will ensure that the driver will know exactly what each sign says and how to proceed. However, reading and following the signs aren’t the only thing a driver must do; a driver must also be constantly aware of their surroundings.

Checking and double-checking where they’re going will decrease the number of deaths on the road dramatically. Drivers can get distracted easily, either by cell phone use, passengers, or background noise. A driver can never be truly immune to distraction but there are certain things they can do to reduce that risk. A driver can put their phone on silent, remind passengers to keep their voices down, and lower any other sounds. Additionally, each driver has their own risk factor and need to take care of that problem using their own solution. For example, as a driver myself, I find that I sometimes get lost in my own thoughts and don’t notice when a pedestrian is about to cross the street or when a car is about to take a turn in front of me. To reduce this risk, I turn on music so that it will keep me tethered to the outside world and remind me to keep watch. I make sure to look around regularly, scanning the area around my vehicle so that there are no surprises for me. While music is something that helps me from distraction, it can also be the cause for distraction to another person. Each driver has different distractions, and therefore, different solutions.

One thing all drivers must do is constantly pay attention to where they are going and the area around themselves. Without this important attention to their surroundings, a driver can cause severe consequences that cannot be taken back. To reduce the risk of the road further, it is always a good idea to have an experienced driver in the passenger seat. They can guide the driver whenever they fail to follow the rules the road and give the rider an extra set of eyes. This is especially helpful for new, inexperienced drivers who are still adjusting to to being a part of the road. Inexperienced drivers are another risk that can easily be avoided with the right passengers. Every risk can be met with a solution, as along as it works for the driver.